MORE than 160 investors have already stepped forward to help save Yealand’s New Inn, the campaign has announced.

Villagers launched a share offer seven weeks ago to raise enough money to buy their pub from its current owners, the Cheshire-based brewery Frederic Robinson.

Now the campaign has extended the share offer until the end of March.

“We have seen a dramatic inflow of share applications during the last 10 days,” said the company’s treasurer, Fiona Pickett in a note to investors.

“However we are very conscious from the feedback that there are a number of potential investors who have yet to join us.”

Nearly 90 per cent of share applications so far have come from the Yealands or the surrounding villages.

Individual investments have ranged from the minimum amount of £250 up to contributions of several thousand pounds.

The organisers have set themselves a target of £250,000.

“This is a real community effort,” said Sandy Sanderson, company chairman.

“We are well on the way and the money raised so far shows just how determined people from Yealand, Warton, Silverdale, Arnside and the surrounding villages are to keep this pub going and to develop it as a community hub.”

The New Inn, which has been closed since November 2014, was listed as an “Asset of Community Value” (ACV) by Lancaster City Council in September last year.

Under the ACV process locals were given six months to raise money to bid to buy the pub.

Mr Sanderson hopes to meet the owners soon to discuss the villagers’ plans for the New Inn.

“Robinsons are a family firm who have been the stewards of this fine old Lancashire pub for the past 33 years and we are confident that they will want to do everything in their power to help our community buy the New Inn and safeguard its future,” he said.